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Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Tuesday Talk | 5 Tips for Dealing with Medical Bills

Today I'm share a few tips that I've learned when dealing with medical bills. Before Wyatt was born I never really dealt with high medical bills. So when I received that first bill that was several thousand dollars, I about had a panic attack. Now, after two babes and two hospital visits in one month, I feel like I'm becoming a pro. Okay, not really. But I at least want to share my knowledge with you!

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ONE | Ask for an Itemized Bill

This is especially important when you receive a large bill. When Wyatt was born we received the bill from the hospital and we were in shock at the cost. I called and asked the hospital for an itemized bill before paying anything. After going through it, I actually found a few things that we were double charged for and they ended up having to fix it and re-file with insurance.

TWO | Contact Your Insurance

If you ever receive a bill and you feel the amount is too high, or just incorrect, call your insurance provider. Our insurance provider actually has a website where I can view claims and other things. 90% of the time I call them before I pay anything. There have been multiple times when I have received bills that have not even been filed through insurance yet. Better to check than pay more than you need to.

THREE | Contact the Place of Service Directly

Every bill we have ever received has an 800 number to contact to pay the bill. Don't. We had a big problem after Stella was born. Basically, I called the 800 number and they gave me a paid in full discount. After re-thinking it I decided to contact the hospital directly and they gave me a much better discount price. This is usually the case. They're much more willing to work with you because they're not trained customer service robots.

FOUR | Always Ask for a Paid in Full Discount

Very few clinics/hospitals won't offer a discount if you offer to pay in full. The hospital that we attend always gives us a 30% discount, and that's a lot when you're talking about thousands of dollars.

FIVE | Save Receipts

I always save our medical receipts. And I always make notes on them about discounts received or if it's being re-filed with insurance. There have been times when I've received bills while it's being re-filed. Once I even received a bill for the difference on a paid in full bill. They got a call from me immediately.

Those are just a few tips I've learned over the past couple of years and wanted to share with all of you! Do you have any helpful tips when it comes to dealing with costly medical bills?

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